45 ideas for what to do on the weekend without spending a dime

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

These ideas are worthless, but invaluable at the same time.

1. Look for events on social media and forums

In the hobby and leisure sections, you can find information about events, many of which are free.

Someone arranges a bike ride or a hike to the nearest forest lakes and invites everyone. Someone is organizing a bead weaving workshop in the park. In megacities, the range of free events is very wide.

2. Check out your local library

There are book club meetings, children's readings, lectures and other events. And that's all - for free or for a symbolic fee, which will be spent on the payment of tea or coffee and a small treat.

In addition, visiting local libraries is a great way to meet intelligent neighbors and make friends with the same interests.

3. Step out onto a public sports area

A school stadium, a sports park or a volleyball court on the beach - it makes no difference. On a weekend, in good weather, there are many who want to play something. And they will almost certainly miss players. Join us!

4. Learn to knit

Of course, this tip is for those who have a couple of knitting needles or hooks and some yarn lying around at home. Try knitting a simple scarf or blanket for your friends' baby. Handmade items are unique and cost much more than the yarn from which they are knitted. People who sell knitting, let's say on Etsy, will confirm this to you.

How to learn to knit and crochet: detailed instructions for beginners →

5. Get to know your neighbors

Some investment may be needed here. For example, to whip up a cookie or pie.

30 recipes for delicious cookies with chocolate, coconut, nuts and more →

5 quick and delicious tea pies →

Go to your neighbors with pastries or invite them to your place. These people can become not only good friends for you, but also a valuable resource. Once you have established a good relationship with them, you can count on looking after your property when you leave or helping you with repairs.

6. By the way, experiment in the kitchen

Becoming a guru in cooking quick and easy meals is not difficult and not at all expensive. Most likely, you already have the necessary ingredients in your refrigerator and you don't even have to buy anything. A nice bonus: if you get carried away with kitchen experiments, you will also receive breakfasts and lunches in the office for a few days in advance.

7. Get rid of unnecessary things

That occupation for which there is always not enough time on weekdays. Sort old clothes, books, discs into categories: “throw away”, “donate”, “sell”. Take pictures of things from the latter category, choosing a presentable background for them, and put them up for sale on any relevant Internet resource.

66 things you should get rid of during the next cleaning →

8. Play board games

An excellent option for those who do not live alone or have many friends. Perhaps someone also does not know what to do on the weekend, and will be happy to accompany you.

8 classic board games that develop intelligence →

9. Listen to podcasts

It's a way to make the most of your weekend, and it's completely free.

The best podcasts of Lifehacker →

10 podcasts for learning English →

10. Make a detailed list of goals

For the near and distant future. With a schedule of execution.

How to set goals and achieve them: simple instructions →

11. Think about what you will leave the heirs

These reflections are not the most festive, but they are necessary. None of us know exactly when he will leave. Therefore, it is important to understand what you will leave behind your loved ones. If you have loans - who will close them and how? If you have real estate - who will get it? Who will take care of your dog? Who would you like to bequeath your comic collection to?

Often, such reflections lead to the fact that people realize the need to make a will. This, by the way, is a sensible move. But you need to think carefully about it.

How to make a will and properly manage your property →

Cleaning like the last time: a new approach to tidying up in Swedish →

12. Perform "maintenance" at home

It's simple. Go from room to room and fix all the shortcomings that you see. Candy papers on the coffee table? We throw it away. A mirror with fingerprints and unclear stains? We wipe it off. Dim lighting? We change the bulbs. Etc.

13. Go for a walk

Pack a delicious snack in your backpack, grab your camera, make sure your smartphone is charged, and go explore the area.

If you live in the city center, look into the arches, enter the old courtyards, look up the brick walls - what can be called cultural heritage is waiting for you there. Let it be dilapidated and forgotten.

If you live on the outskirts, near a forest, river or lake, you will have an even more exciting eco-trip. Take a blanket with you to be able to have a full-fledged little picnic.

Scientists have proven: walking makes people more creative →

14. Learn to juggle or show tricks

In the future, this will help you to defuse the atmosphere in the office, impress new acquaintances or please your friends with little shows.

15. Take pictures

Look for beautiful shots around and take more pictures. At home, analyzing the results of a photo hunt, you will most likely find something beautiful. For example, a snapshot that can become a unique greeting card for a loved one or serve as the basis for creating a photo wallpaper.

17 Best Photo Editors for Different Platforms →

16. Go to a free museum or zoo

In large cities, museums with free access for all are often organized at universities, in libraries and educational spaces.

The zoo is more complicated. However, there may be a similar social initiative in your city - just google it.

17. Learn the basics of a new or related profession

There are many educational platforms on the Web that provide free access to serious university courses. This can be, for example, the famous Coursera or online lectures from famous universities in the world.

How to learn programming from scratch →

18. Start managing your family budget

Choose the most convenient online option available, customize it to suit your needs and start a new phase in your life - the phase of a rational approach to finance.

20 free courses that will teach you to understand finance →

19. Find a way to cut costs

If you are already using the program for accounting of finances, congratulations: on the weekend you finally found a minute to analyze your spending! Review the costs, find those on which you could save, or even refuse them altogether.

How to spend less and save more: simple rules that we forget about →

20. Make something interesting

T-shirts worn to holes and decrepit jeans do not have to be thrown away. For example, make a patchwork rug out of them - just sew together scraps of fabrics of different colors. Thrifty and angry.

30 creative ideas for remodeling old denim clothes →

18 DIY Ideas That Will Delight Your Pets →

21. Learn to make origami

You will need several sheets of colored or white paper. Origami trains fine motor skills, improves concentration and can give you very useful things as a way out.

4 ways to make a rose out of paper →

22. Make a YouTube video

Share with the world how masterly you fold origami. Or put on your makeup. Any of your knowledge and skills will do. Perhaps this video will be the beginning of your personal YouTube channel.

23. Play soccer. Even if alone

Just go out into the yard, find a suitable wall - and hone your ability to shoot a penalty on an imaginary goal.

24. Create a time capsule

Find a small box and then walk around the house collecting items that might represent your reality today. It can be:

• checks from a supermarket or bar;
• newspaper pages with interesting information for you;
• a couple of coins from the wallet;
• a printout confirming the booking at the booking;
• one of the little toys your cat plays with;
• a flash drive with photos from your recent vacation uploaded to it …

Put it all in a box, wrap it with duct tape, and attach a sticker with today's date and instructions to open exactly five or ten years later. So a piece of your daily life will travel to the future.

25. Dig into your personal archives

Remove from the mezzanine boxes with your children's drawings (or drawings of your already grown-up children), school notebooks and albums with old photographs. Diving into the past is a great way to better understand yourself in the present.

26. Scan old photos

Option for those who have a scanner at home. Digitizing paper memories is a great way to protect them from the ruthless time. If you don't have a scanner, just take a picture of old pictures and save to the cloud.

12 Cloud Storage You Should Look Out For →

27. Have a film festival

Invite a few friends, asking each to take a disc or flash drive with their favorite movie. And then review everything in bulk.

What to see this weekend →

28. Seduce your partner

It's fun, romantic and great. It also helps strengthen relationships. And yes, completely free.

Double pleasure: 20 best sex positions for both partners →

29. Master the basic elements of yoga

You only need a small free space and a blanket (gym mat). The bonus is a tangible benefit for the figure.

Yoga for the abdomen: 5 simple poses that will help restore slimness →

30. Play an augmented reality game

Your smartphone can turn the world outside your home into a huge ride full of adventure.

5 Augmented Reality Apps But No Pokemon →

31. Go to the cleanup

This will make the area you live in cleaner and more fulfilling activities. Just stock up on a trash bag and work gloves. By the way, you can invite neighbors to participate in such an event. It unites.

Plogging: what is this trend and why is it so popular →

32. Rearrange the furniture in the room

To freshen up the atmosphere, it is sometimes enough just to turn the table and change the position of the bed. It's also a good muscle workout.

How to make the perfect living room by rearranging furniture →

33. Get enough sleep

Jokes aside. If you are actively working, chances are, you will not get enough healthy sleep during the week. Weekends are a great time to catch up.

Sleeping off on the weekend is a matter of life and death. Scientists Tell Why →

34. Call a friend or family member you haven't spoken to in a long time

If you are at odds, even better. Free time is a resource that helps build relationships. Ask: Perhaps the person needs your help? Or maybe he doesn't mind coming to visit you?

How and when to ask for forgiveness in order to receive it →

35. Make a list of non-urgent tasks

Things to do when you have free time. For example, wash windows. Paint the walls in the hallway. Disassemble the trash on the balcony. Take a photo and post something unnecessary for sale.

Start writing a list on a large piece of paper and then magnetically attach it to the refrigerator. So it will be convenient for you to delete cases and add new ones.

By the way, do you have free time right now? Spend it on a couple of things.

36. Volunteer

There are many people and organizations that need your help. You can look for a place to apply your efforts on city forums and in social networks.

How to distinguish real benefactors from scammers →

37. Disassemble the documents

It often happens that important papers - passports, all kinds of certificates, loan and deposit agreements - are stored in a heap in one box. Simply because their owner does not have time to organize the document space.

Hooray! This weekend you have it! Organize your documents by organizing them into separate folders and files.

38. Master some meditation technique

Meditations help to "clear the mind", relieve stress, learn to be aware of and appreciate the current moment in life.

7 Simple Techniques for Quick Meditation →

39. Go in for sports

For example, jump rope for exactly five minutes, and then get on the plank for a minute. Promise yourself to repeat this set (or whatever set of exercises you choose) tomorrow. Make it one of your habits.

What happens to you if you do the plank every day →

40. Go for a bike ride or swim

Of course, for this you must have your own bike or a reservoir nearby (and, of course, summer outside the window). But suddenly?

41. Go where your eyes will look

In a literal sense: leave the house and walk along the path that your eyes fell on and which seems the most attractive. We often do not notice a lot of interesting things just for the reason that we only walk along familiar familiar paths. Break this stereotype.

42. Travel with Google Maps

Explore countries and coasts you've already visited. Find your hotel. Check prices and territories for nearby hotels. Track where the unknown road leads and what the beach looks like, which you never got to. Take a look at Sri Lanka. Or to Japan. Or find Stonehenge. Exploring the world can be so fun that you can easily spend a few hours doing it.

43. Get yourself a spa treatment

Or just take a long, long bath of aromatic oils.

44. Watch a few seasons of a show that everyone hasn't gotten around to

Have you missed Game of Thrones or Westworld or House of Cards? You have the chance to enjoy the adventures of the heroes without the tedious waiting between episodes.

45. Explore the starry sky

Spend the daytime getting ready: download applications with information about celestial bodies and galaxies, figure out where you can find a secluded place away from too bright lights. And in the evening, go to the park or the stadium, lay out the rug, lie on your back and look at the sky. This exercise helps you understand how big and beautiful the universe is around us and how ridiculous our earthly problems are.

8 fascinating books about the universe and space →

5 Best Android Apps to Explore the Night Sky →